Publications by authors named "Farazi P"

Context: Rural-urban disparities have been reported in cancer care, but data are sparse on the effect of geography and location of residence on access to care in thyroid cancer.

Objective: To identify impact of rural or urban residence and distance from treatment center on thyroid cancer stage at diagnosis.

Methods: We evaluated 800 adults with differentiated thyroid cancer in the iCaRe2 bioinformatics/biospecimen registry at the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.

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Chinese young adults (CYA), who are at an increasing risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which in turn increases the risk of liver cancer, are an ideal target population to deliver educational interventions to improve their awareness and knowledge of NAFLD and consequently reduce their risk of developing NAFLD. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of two interventions to improve awareness and knowledge of NAFLD among CYA for the prevention of liver cancer. Between May and July 2021, 1373 undergraduate students aged 18 to 25 years in one university in China completed a web-based, self-administered survey distributed through WeChat app.

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Purpose: Despite the increasing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a liver cancer etiological factor, among Chinese young adults (CYA), there is a lack of valid, reliable, ready-to-use survey instruments for assessing awareness and knowledge of NAFLD in this population. The aims of this study were to develop, validate, and assess the reliability of a web-based, self-administered questionnaire evaluating awareness and knowledge of NAFLD among CYA.

Methods: Based on review of relevant literature, a draft questionnaire was initially developed.

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Despite the increasing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a liver cancer etiological factor, among Chinese young adults (CYA), there is a lack of study assessing awareness and knowledge of NAFLD among them. This study aimed to assess awareness and knowledge of NAFLD, and identify the factors associated with awareness and knowledge of NAFLD among CYA. We conducted a survey to assess awareness and knowledge of NAFLD among students who enrolled in one university undergraduate program in 2018, 2019, and 2020 through a newly developed web-based, self-administered questionnaire.

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Purpose: Previous studies on cancer risk among agricultural producers have focused on occupational exposures, with only a few studies examining behavioral factors. The aim of this study was to understand cancer risky and preventative behaviors among the large farming population in Nebraska.

Methods: A statewide cross-sectional study of farmers in Nebraska aged 19 and older was conducted in 2019 (n = 782).

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Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease affects about 24% of the world's population and may progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While more common in those that are obese, NASH-HCC can develop in lean individuals. The mechanisms by which HCC develops and the role of epigenetic changes in the context of obesity and normal weight are not well understood.

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Background: The club cell secretory protein (CC16) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and is a potential early biomarker of lung damage. The CC16 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3741240 risk allele (A) has been inconsistently linked to asthma; other tagging SNPs in the gene have not been explored. The aim was to determine whether CC16 tagging polymorphisms are associated with adult asthma, asthma subtypes or asthma control in the Agricultural Lung Health Study (ALHS).

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Background: The overall incidence rate of cancer in Nebraska is higher than the national average with cancer being the second leading cause of death in the state. Interventions are required to reduce the cancer burden; however, further research is first needed to identify behavioral cancer risk factors and preventive behaviors among Nebraskans that can be targeted.

Methods: A statewide cross-sectional survey of Nebraskans aged 19 and older was conducted in 2019 using an address-based sampling method (n = 1640).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the role of club cell secretory protein (CC16) in relation to smoking and lung function in veterans with COPD.
  • Low CC16 levels correlate with higher odds of COPD, indicating its potential protective effects against the disease.
  • Findings suggest that the impact of CC16 on lung function is influenced by smoking status, highlighting the need for further research on CC16's role post-smoking cessation.
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Background: Cancer clinical trials (CCTs) are essential for cancer care, yet the evidence is scarce when it comes to racial disparities in CCT participation among cancer survivors in the Midwest. This study aimed to 1) assess disparities in the awareness of and willingness to participate in CCTs between African American and White cancer survivors; and 2) compare perceptions about CCTs between the two racial groups.

Methods: The study was based on cross-sectional data from the survey "Minority Patient Participation in Cancer Clinical Trials" that collected information from 147 Black and White cancer survivors from Nebraska between 2015 and 2016.

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Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) ranks first among liver diseases in Western countries. NAFLD is typically associated with obesity and diabetes, however it also develops in lean individuals without metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of lean NAFLD is 7 percent in the U.

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Hispanic/Latinx persons have disproportionately lower breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening rates than non-Hispanic White (NHW) persons. This low participation in cancer screening results in late-stage cancer diagnosis among Hispanic persons compared to NHW persons. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions effectively improve cancer screening rates in the general population; however, few reviews about mHealth interventions are tailored to Hispanic populations.

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Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates remain low in Latino communities. We sought to determine the screening awareness and attitudes in Omaha, Nebraska.

Methods: We interviewed 150 Latinos at an urban Federally Qualified Health Center, June-October 2017.

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Importance: Transitions between e-cigarettes and cigarettes are common among tobacco users, but empirical evidence on the health outcomes of switching tobacco products is scarce.

Objectives: To examine changes in urinary biomarkers between baseline and 1-year follow-up among adult tobacco users switching between e-cigarettes and cigarettes.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study used data from wave 1 (baseline, September 2013 to December 2014) and wave 2 (1-year follow-up, October 2014 to October 2015) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study.

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Background: Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer. It is the eighth most common cancer in males and the tenth in females in Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean with a high ultraviolet (UV) index. Cyprus is expected to be strongly affected by climate change and consequently, melanoma will likely become an increasing public health problem.

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Background: Previous studies have explored surgery refusal among female breast cancer patients. However, little attention has been given to other therapies in both females and males. The goal of this study was to determine the potential role of gender on recommended hormone therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery refusal and to describe other determinants of refusal.

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine differences between urban and rural primary care clinics in the use of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening methods and evidence-based interventions to promote CRC screening.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of primary care clinics in Nebraska. Surveys in paper form were sent out and followed up with telephone interviews to nonrespondents.

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Compared to other races/ethnicities, the Latino population has a lower rate of adherence to colorectal cancer (CRC) screening guidelines. Previous studies have identified a variety of barriers to CRC screening in Latino populations but have not explored factors associated with barriers. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers to CRC screening and associated factors in a Midwest Latino population visiting an urban Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).

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Background: The gut microbiome plays a critical role in modulating the therapeutic effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly used in cancer patients and may affect the gut microbiome by altering gut pH.

Objective: To evaluate if concurrent use of PPI is associated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, transitional cell carcinoma, or head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease in Western countries. While obesity and diabetes are the hallmarks of NAFLD, it also develops in lean individuals in the absence of metabolic syndrome, with a prevalence of 7 percent in the U.S.

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Background: The incidence of liver cancer has more than tripled since 1980. Hepatectomy represents the major curative treatment for liver cancer. The risk factors associated with 90-day mortality after hepatectomy are not well understood and there are currently no good prediction models for this outcome.

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Objectives: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity provides multiple benefits to women after childbirth. To achieve these benefits, the recommendation that adults obtain, 150 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week and reduce sedentary behaviors, also applies to women in the post-partum phase of the life span. However, research examining the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behaviors of women with young children (0-2 years) is limited.

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Background: Cervical cancer incidence varies around the world with the highest rates in Eastern Africa and the lowest rates in Western Asia. In Cyprus, a small Mediterranean island, cervical cancer incidence was 6.4 per 100,000 in 2013.

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Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates are lower in rural areas in the USA. To guide the design of interventions to improve CRC screening, a systematic review was conducted to identify CRC screening barriers for rural populations.

Methods: A search was conducted in four literature databases - Medline, CINAHL, Embase, and Scopus - for articles from 1998 to 2017 that examine CRC screening barriers in rural areas.

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